1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ultrasound endoscope system and a control method of the ultrasound endoscope system, and more particularly to an ultrasound endoscope system made up of an ultrasound observation apparatus, an endoscope processor, and a keyboard connected to both the foregoing equipment, and a control method of the ultrasound endoscope system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, ultrasound endoscope systems which are made up of an ultrasound observation apparatus for endoscope (hereinafter abbreviated as an ultrasound observation apparatus), an endoscope processor, and a plurality of peripheral equipment connected to both the foregoing equipment are proposed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-143582, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-177348.
The ultrasound observation apparatus is configured to include a control circuit which causes an ultrasound tomography image (hereinafter, simply referred to as an ultrasound image) to be displayed on a display portion, the ultrasound image being obtained from a signal generated by performing a predetermined signal processing based on an ultrasound signal obtained by inserting an ultrasound endoscope, which is provided in the distal end portion with an ultrasound transducer, into a body cavity and driving the ultrasound transducer to transmit/receive an ultrasound, as well as controls the entire system.
The ultrasound endoscope is provided at the distal end of its insertion portion with an image pickup device etc.; the endoscope processor receives an image signal obtained by the ultrasound endoscope and subjects it to a predetermined signal processing to generate a signal, by which an endoscope image is displayed on the display portion.
Ultrasound diagnostic apparatus systems (or ultrasound endoscope systems), in which the above described two equipment are electrically connected with a plurality of peripheral equipment, for example, a printer (a video printer etc.), an information recording apparatus (an image file system etc.), an information inputting apparatus (a card reader etc.), and an operation instruction inputting apparatus (a keyboard etc.), have been commercialized and in widespread use.
Conventionally, after an ultrasound endoscope system is constructed by electrically connecting the ultrasound observation apparatus and the endoscope processor with respective peripheral equipment by using a connection cable; the setting etc. of the ultrasound observation apparatus and the endoscope processor, and the peripheral equipment connected thereto are all manually performed by a user or equipment administrator (hereinafter referred to as a user etc.) based on technical data (hereinafter simply referred to as an instruction manual etc.) such as an instruction manual, a sales manual, and a connection wiring diagram corresponding to each equipment.
On the other hand, some of conventional ultrasound endoscope systems are configured to include an operation instruction inputting apparatus such as a keyboard (hereinafter simply referred to as a keyboard) in order to convey an instruction signal etc. to the ultrasound observation apparatus and the endoscope processor. In some cases, the keyboard is electrically connected to the both equipment respectively: the ultrasound observation apparatus and the endoscope processor, so that one keyboard can be used in common for both the equipment.
The system of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-143582 is an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus system made up of an ultrasound observation apparatus, an endoscope processor, and a plurality of peripheral equipment connected to both the foregoing equipment, the system being configured to include a system setting portion provided in any one of the ultrasound observation apparatus and the endoscope processor, a communication portion for transferring the information set by the system setting portion to the other of the ultrasound observation apparatus and the endoscope processor, and an operation setting modification portion for performing its own setting based on the system setting information transferred from the communication portion.
Further, the system of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-177348 is an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus system made up of an ultrasound observation apparatus, an endoscope processor, and a plurality of peripheral equipment including an operation portion connected to both the foregoing equipment, wherein the ultrasound observation apparatus comprises a control circuit which comprises: a first storage portion for prestoring one or both of online manual information and help information relating to the system; a second storage portion for storing a usage situation of the system whenever necessary; and a selection portion for displaying information selected based on each information stored in the first storage portion and the second storage portion, on a display apparatus; and wherein the selection portion reads usage situation information stored in the second storage portion upon receiving an instruction signal from the operation portion, and reads information corresponding to the usage situation information from the first storage portion to transfer it to the display apparatus.